


we comma instead of period

by AzcaSky



Category: IM (Band), Madtown (Band), UNB (Band)
Genre: Gen, au where kijung and daewon left seoul, daewon/kijung hurt-comfort that no one asked for, mainly inspired by that momox video
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 06:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14847317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzcaSky/pseuds/AzcaSky
Summary: Busking for a living didn't provide him with too much option in life. But when Kijung asked Daewon, someone who shared the same fate as him, who he has been living with for twelve years, for a new choice, Daewon didn't hesitate to take him.AU where Kijung is a music academy student and Daewon is his legal caretaker.





	we comma instead of period

The sign to Gwacheon passed them by as Kijung glanced outside from his aisle seat, sixth row from the front. There was not much to see, just scatters of plantation, trees, and clouds hanging around the bright summer sky. They had officially left Seoul.

The road was not empty, but it was sparse—just some cars here and there, more of a fleeting occurence rather than a companion. There was no business going at this time of the year, at this time of the day. Kijung could feel the bus speeding up, the trees and clouds becoming no more than a blur. It might be ridiculously cruel, but Kijung hoped there would be a congestion up ahead—broken road, maybe, or truck that had fallen over and blocked the way. He hoped there was a reason he wouldn’t have to look like he turned tail when he went back. But the bus continued on, a trip that still didn’t feel real.

Kijung gripped the strap of his messenger bag a little bit tighter, small reassurance to a thousand question he couldn’t figure the answer of.

"Anxious?" Beside him, Daewon asked, one earbud hung around his shoulder. It was beyond Kijung how Daewon could seem so calm about this, could probably pretend that this was just another weekend trip, but then again Kijung was the one who cried one day asking to leave Seoul, the only city they both knew since birth. "You can switch place with me, if you want."

Kijung shook his head. Yes, he was anxious, but not the kind that could be relieved by looking at the scenery. He was agitated about the idea of leaving, of changes, of the fact that they were betting their chances to fate, of his own mistakes that had cornered them until they had to go away. If anything, seeing the road becoming less and less familiar might actually trigger his anxiousness even more. "I'm alright, hyung. Just, first time traveling and all."

It wasn’t a lie, not really. They never had had enough money to afford faraway trips, if at all, so the only trip Kijung took was the commute route to the academy, and their occasional visit to Seoul’s most famous and crowded places: Han River, Namsan Tower, anywhere they could enjoy the view while Kijung did his busking.

But then Kijung noticed that the earbud Daewon didn’t put on was the right side one, the side furthest from Kijung, the side that was meant to be shared with someone who sat beside him. Daewon’s eyes were filled with concern, eyebrows knitted together, mouth half open, forming unsaid sentences. His left hand hovered, like he was about to offer something, but then decided against it. He settled on exhaling a long breathe, a quiet one, yet Kijung heard it nonetheless. Kijung pretended he didn’t as the elder shifted in his seat, facing forward, leaning his forehead to the window. He gritted his teeth, feeling horrible, but wasn’t sure he could afford anymore kindness. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to comfort or be comforted, so he went for neither.

After all, he had caused too much anguish for him to be demanding of anything.

But Daewon would understand anyway, because that was just how he was.

Daewon had understood, when he came home covered in bruises and scrapes, tears streaming down his face but refused to say anything.

Daewon had understood, when the morning after, over the chamomile tea Daewon concocted to calm him down, he told him he didn’t want to go back to the academy, ever.

Daewon had understood, as he called Yuchan then Gwangsuk, asking for a place to stay.

 

_“We might be there for awhile, hyung, is that alright?”_

_“Awhile, like, a few days while?”_

_“Honestly… I’m not really sure. It could be days, or weeks, I don’t know. We haven’t even talked about it.”_

_“…”_

_“Hyung, I owe you for this, okay?”_

_“You better tell me when you get here.”_

_“Right, sure. Thanks, hyung, you’re the best.”_

 

At that time, Kijung knew he wasn’t supposed to overhear. Wasn’t supposed to see Daewon’s hunched figure, swallowed in oversized plaid shirt, looking so nervous and unsure. He wasn’t supposed to, but right at that time, his doubt came running back. Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure of his decision anymore. But instead of voicing any of it, all he said when Daewon noticed him entering the room was,

_“Hyung, I’ve packed._ ”

In the end, his stubbornness won over his doubt and his concern.

 

They had planned to go to Jeju, because there was where Yuchan offered them a place to stay, and a job in his family's orange farm. But their saving was not enough to afford the plane trip to the island, nor do they think they can be of much help planting oranges.

_"It will be alright,"_ Yuchan had said through the phone, in between sound of breeze and creak of windmill. _"You're already like family to us, don't worry about anything."_

But Yuchan also had five other siblings. He didn’t need two more useless mouths to feed, despite his insistence that it wouldn’t be a problem.

So they went to Gwangsuk's house instead, all the way to Busan. Two hours and thirty seven minutes bus ride from Seoul, fourty six thousand won worth of travel fee for two. Gwangsuk's family had a flat they didn’t really use in the rundown part of the town, where they sell really cheap polluck kimchi to those who couldn’t afford proper one. He let the two runaways live there if they took care of the sales, and they could take as much portion as they want as a bonus.

Busan was good—sufficiently far from Seoul, different enough that nothing would remind them of the past, large enough that they didn’t have to part with the crowded city they had grown accustomed to. Yet Kijung still tried to remember all the stops they pass, all the welcome and farewell signs of the city they went through. He didn’t want to forget the way, if he ever wanted to come back.

"Here," Daewon offered Kijung one half of his earbud, finally, fifty miles away from Seoul, twenty minutes of agitated silence, "Maybe it's better if you sleep. We still have a long way."

Kijung’s hand quivered when he received the earbud. He wanted to shift closer, wanted to lean to Daewon’s shoulder, but it was taking him all of his willpower to release the grip on his straps, putting the small device to his ear. The melody of a soft ballad bleed through, a song about redemption, about second chance. Kijung suspected Daewon had been playing it on loop. Not that he would mind—his head was too noisy to concentrate anyways.

It was Daewon who, after a few seconds of consideration, pulled Kijung closer to his side. He didn’t say a word as he threw his hand around the younger’s shoulder, a little forcefully drawing Kijung’s head to his chest, so half his back was flush to his front. Kijung was considerably taller than him, but sitting down, it didn’t make all that much difference, as Kijung made himself comfortable and snug, enjoying the way Daewon’s fingers card through his hair.

It took three loops of the song until Kijung was exhausted enough to doze off, his eyelids feeling heavy and his thoughts incoherent, blurs in between dream and reality.

“Hyung,” he slurred, softly, hoping a little that Daewon wouldn’t hear. When he felt Daewon’s chest vibrate, he wasn’t sure if that was real or merely his imagination, but he continued anyway, “Thank you,”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I was staring too much at Kijung's shirt watching the Momo X video. So this just sort of happened. It took a lot more time than I thought, and I guess I am starting to rust, so please give me criticism if you find anything! Thank you!


End file.
